Clasp brake



H C s E L .F R M CLASP BRAKE 3 Sheets-Sheet l Filed March 6, 1956 EF?. FLEGH CLASP BRAKE 3 Sheets-Sheet R l'filed March 6,

Unite States CLASP iiRAKE Application March 6, 1956, Serial No. 569,886 Claims. (Cl. 18856) This invention relates to brake arrangements and more particularly to a brake arrangement for a railway car truck.

The invention comprehends a simple economical light weight clasp brake arrangement adapted for use on a modern high speed railway car truck.

The present day trend in the construction of modern high speed railway cars is toward light weight cars having low centers of gravity. One obvious way to considerably lighten the over-all weight of a car is to replace the conventional heavy and cumbersome car trucks with lighter, smaller trucks having one piece cast steel frames. However, although these newer trucks are smaller than the conventional trucks and therefore afford far less space for brake linkage and other elements necessarily mounted on the truck, their high speeds nevertheless require powerful and durable brake linkage arrangements. Also, because of the space problem it is essential, in many types of truck arrangements, that none of the brake linkage be disposed between the wheels of the truck as this space is needed for other parts and fittings.

It is, therefore, a primary object of this invention to provide a simple and compact, but highly eilicient brake linkage especially adapted for use in high speed railway car trucks.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a brake arrangement wherein none of the brake elements is disposed between the wheels of the truck.

A further object of the invention is to provide a clasp brake mechanism wherein the majority of the brake linkage is disposed outboardly of the truck frame.

A more specific object of the invention is` the provision of a clasp brake linkage arrangement having a power cylinder and slack adjusting device mounted on the` out* board side of the frame and connected to the friction means through a pair of dead actuating levers fulcrumed to the ends of the frame.

These and other objects of the invention will be apparent from an examination of the following description and drawings, wherein:

Figure l is a fragmentary top plan view of a railway car truck embodying features of my invention (only one side of the truck being shown as a similar arrangement may be provided on the opposite side);

Figure 2 is a side elevational View of the structure illustrated in Figure l;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary sectional view taken along the line 3 3 of Figure l;

Figure 4 is a fragmentary end elevational vieuI of the structure illustrated in Figure l, as seen from the left, and

Figure 5 is a fragmentary end elevational view of the structure illustrated in Figure l, as seen from the right.

It will be noted that certain elements have been intentionally omitted from certain views where they are better illustrated in other views.

Referring now to the drawing for a better understanding of the invention, it will be seen that the device is arent ICC rshown as applied to a railway car truck having a frame, indicated generally at 10. The frame may be supported in any desired manner (not shown) by a pair of spaced wheel and axle assemblies l2, each of which comprises a wheel i4 mounted on an axle le.

As best seen in Figure l, the frame l@ comprises a pair of side frames, or wheel pieces, i3 spaced from each other and interconnected at their ends by rails 2d, and intermediate their ends by transoms 22, the end rails and transoms preferably being formed integrally with the side frames.

Now referring to Figure 2, it will be seen that the braking is achieved by a pair of brake shoe assemblies 2d and 26, which are positioned adjacent and engageable with the respective inner and outer sides of each wheel 14. The brake shoe assemblies illustrated are of the conventional type comprising a brake head having a brake shoe 3@ keyed thereto to engage the related surface of the adjacent wheel 14.

The inner brake shoe assemblies 2d are pivotally connected by pins 3l to the lower extremities or inner dead vertical brake levers 32, the upper extremities of said levers being pivotally connected by pins 33 to mounting brackets 34 secured to the transoms 22 adjacent the respective wheels.

The outer brake shoe assemblies 26 are: pivotaly connected by pins 32 to the lower extremities of outer live vertical levers 36, the upper extremities of which are provided with linkage or cievis connections 3S. The inner and outer brake levers 32 and Sti associated with each wheel are interconnected intermediate their ends by straps 39 pivoted to the levers by pins l5 and 417, respectively.

Again referring to Figure l, it will be seen that a power cylinder itl and a slack adjusting device 42, spaced from each other longitudinally of the truck, are mounted on the outboard sides of the side frame itil by mounting brackets d1 and 43, respectively. The power cylinder dit preferably comprises a cylinder body dd having a piston 46 and piston rod d8 extending outwardly therefrom.

The power cylinder and the slack adjuster are pivotaily connected by pins 5l and S3 to the inboard extremities of generally horizontal live and dead operating levers 5d and 52, respectively. The operating levers Sti and 52 are pivotally connected at their outboard extremities by pins 55 and 57, respectively, to the opposite ends of a connecting rod 5d, and are pivotally connected intermediate their ends by pins 59 and di, respectively, to the respective inner ends of pull rods 69 and 62, the opposite or outer ends of the pull rods 6@ and 62 being connected by pins 63 and 6:5', respectively, to the outer extremities of substantially horizontal dead actuating levers tid and 66, respectively. The actuating levers 64 and d6 are pivoted intermediate their ends by pins 67 and 69, respectively, to the opposite ends of the side frame ld, the inboard extremities of the actuating levers being pivotally connected to the respective outer brake lever links 33. A plurality of support brackets 70, rigidly secured to the side frame i3 and extending outwardly therefrom, may be provided to offer sliding support for rods 54, 6d and 6i.

Additional support for the outer brake shoe assemblies may be provided by a pair of brake hangers '72, pivoted at their lower extremities by pins E52 to their respective brake shoe assemblies 26, and at their upper extremities by pins '73 to the side frame.

To describe the operation of the invention, as power cylinder d@ in energized piston rod dit moves to the left, as seen in Figure l, causing the operating lever Sti to rotate counterclockvvise about pin 5'5 thereby moving pull rod 60 to the left and urging actuating lever dfi to rotate clockwise about pin d'7 to bring the related brake shoe assemblies into engagement with the right hand wheel 14.

.. essaim e ce At this time the pivot point oA lever shifts from pin to pin 59 and lever contii f to rotate crmntcrclocl;m wise, moving connecting `rod 5d tc the t, as seen in Figure 1. This causes operating lever 5 to roV countercloclcwise about pin oli, moving the pull rod of?, to right and urges actuating lever 66 to rotate counterclocl; wise about pin to bring the related brake shoe assent blies into engagement with the left hand wheel. lt is to be understood that all of this action of the linkage takes place at substantially the same time.

Thus it will be seen that with the above described l age arrangement l have been able to pos ion memb of the brake linkage elements outboardly c the side frame With none of the linkage being disposed in the center between the wheels of tie truck. ln so doing, i have l the entire space in the truck between the Wheels the mounting of other necessary trucl; parts and not related to the actual brake arrangement.

l claim:

1, in a, clasp brake arrangement for a four Wheel rail- Way car truck having a frame comprising a pair of spaced side frames interconnected intermediate their ends by a pair of spaced transoms and interconnected at their ends by a pair of spaced end rtils, and a pair of supporting wheel and axle assemblies, the combination of: tric` n means positioned adjacent engageable with inner outer sides of the respective assemblies, four substantially vertical brake levers pivotally connected at their lower ends to the respective friction means, the brake levers associated with rthe respective inner friction means being dead levers having their upper ends pivotally connected te the respective transoms, the brake levers associated with the outer friction means being live levers, strap means interconnecting the live and dead levers associated with the respective assemblies intermediate the ends of said live and dead levers, a pair of generally horizontal dead actuating levers pivoted intermediate their ends to the side frame adjacent the respective end rails, the inboard ends of the actuating le ers being operatively c n nected to the upper ends of the respective outer bixc levers, a power cylinder and a slack adjuster mounted c the side frame outboardly thereof and spaced longitt nally or" the truck from each other, generally horizont l live and dead operating levers having their inboard ends pivotally connected to the power cylinder and slack adjuster, respectively, a pair of pull rods having their outer ends pillo-tally connected to the outboard ends of the respective actuating levers having their inner ends pivotally connected to the respective operating levers intermediate the ends of said operating levers, and another pull rod interconnecting the outboard ends of the respective operating levers, said operating levers and said pull rods being disposed outboardly of the side trame.

2. in a clasp brake arrangement for a four Wheel railway car tinck having a frame comprising a pair of side members interconnected by a plurality ot tansvcrsely extending members, and a pair of supporting Wheel and axle assemblies, the combination of: friction means positioned adjacent and engageable with the inner and outer sides of the Wheels on the respective assemblies, brallie levers pivotally connected at their lov/er ends to the respective friction means, the brel-:e levers associated with the inner friction means being ulcrumed at their upper ends to the frame, the brake levers associated with the outer friction means being live levers, means interconnecting the live and dead levers associated with the respective assemblies, a pair of dead actuating levers ulcrumed intermediate their ends to the frame adjacent the ends of the frame, said actuating levers being connected at their inbcard ends to the upper ends of the respective outer brake levers, a power cylinder and a slack adjuster carried by the frame and spaced from each other longitudinallv ci the frame, live and dead operating levers having their inboard ends pivotally connected to the power cylinder and slacl; adjuster, respectively, a pair of pull rods connecting the actuating levers to the respective operating levers, and another pull rod. interconnecting the operating levers, said operating levers and said pull rods being disposed entirely outboardly of the side members.

3. In a clasp brake arrangement for a four wheel rail- .vay car truck having a frame supported by a pair of spaced wheel and axle assemblies, friction means disposed on the inner and outer sides of the respective assemblies, a pair of dead brake levers pivotally connected to the respective inner friction means and ulcrumed to the frame adjacent opposite ends of the frame, a pair of live bralte levers pivotally connected to the outer friction means, strap means interconnecting the brake levers associated with each assembly, a pair of dead actuating levers ulcrumed to the frame adjacent the ends of the frame and operatively connected to the live brake levers, a pair of pull rods connected to the respective actuating levers, a slack adjusting member and a power member mounted on the frame and spaced from each other, live and dead operating levers interconnecting the members and the respective pull rods, and another pull rod interconnecting the operating levers, said operating levers and said pull rods being disposed entirely outboardly of the frame.

4. ln a tread brake arrangement for a railway car truck comprising a frame and a pair of supporting Wheel and axle assemblies, the combination of: brake means disposed adjacent and en gageable with the respective assemblies, said brake means including a pair of live brake levers; a pair of dead actuating levers fulcrumed intermediate their ends to the frame and operatively connected at their inboard ends to the upper ends of the respective brake levers; a power cylinder member and a slack adjester member mounted on the frame; live and dead operating levers having their inboard ends connected to the respective members; a pair of pull rods connecting the outboard ends of the actuating levers to the respective operating levers; and another pull rod interconnecting the outboard ends of said operating levers; said members, said operating levers, and said pull rods all being disposed entirely outboardly of the frame.

5. A tread brake arrangement according to claim 4, wherein said dead actuating levers are disposed adjacent opposite ends of the frame and outwardly of the related wheel and axle assemblies,

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNlTED STATES PATENTS 

